From Penny Arcade:

“My mother has never entirely understood role-playing. I don’t intend to belabor the point, but when I was a young man it was the position of our church that Dungeons & Dragons held within it the clustered seeds of apostasy. She was so bewildered by what she had seen during of Dice and Men that she made it a point to attend our D&D Live panel, where her son and his friends played this mysterious game on stage. The devil did show up, true, and we did go to hell, just as the clergy had suggested we might. Except in the actual version of events, as has happened so many times, we stood against the King of Lies at the very gates of his damned realm and emerged triumphant.

“My mother came up to me after the panel was over, saying, ‘I’m sorry, Jerry. I’m sorry.’ She wiped the corner of her left eye with her thumb. ‘They told me it was something else.’”

I read this, and it was heart wrenching.

I was fortunate enough in my formative role-playing years to have incredibly supportive parents, so this was never an issue. In my basement, growing up, was an entire room stocked full of books; books of every kind, from sci-fi and fantasy to textbooks and cookbooks. It was this room that introduced fantasy to me.

My dad gave me a copy of the Dragonlance Chronicles to read, and I ate them up. I hadn’t read any Tolkien at this point, so the whole concept of Elves and Dwarves was new and fascinating.

My first introduction to role-playing was a friend in swimming class at the YMCA telling me, at 8 years old, about this game where you get to be characters in Star Wars. “You can be Han Solo and Luke Skywalker?” I asked.

“No,” he responded, “you get to be your own characters like those characters.” I was amazed, and immediately went home and told my dad.

“You’re not old enough,” he told me. I think the culture at the time was still that role-playing was dangerous. He didn’t believe that, but he didn’t want me telling my friends, and have their parents getting on my (or my parents) case. No skin off my nose, I moved on and forgot about it.

Which brings me to learning to play Star Wars with my buddy Mike.  Soon after, I picked up the Star Wars d20 RPG and decided to form a group.

By this point, I was already painting miniatures and beginning to learn about the inner workings of Warhammer. My friends and I sort of. discovered fantasy role-playing without even knowing we were doing it.

We would take hobby knives and carve out castles and buildings from Styrofoam (of which there was always plenty around our house, since my dad works from home on computer stuff). We would paint up little minis (badly) and move them around my 6-foot-by-3-foot train table (having long lost the trains, though not the grass tabletop). I’m not even sure if we really rolled dice with the small armies, but eventually, we began using less and less figures, until we were usually controlling our favorite figure against one another and the other armies of figures. Sound familiar?

Anyway, back to RPGs.

I picked up the Star Wars book because it was in the game store I usually bought miniatures at. I remember seeing it on the shelf, and knowing I was going to have to save my lawn-mowing money. Once I had, I bought a set of dice, and formed up my group. I believe I’ve detailed that process in the past, so I’ll skip it for now until I’ve looked through my archives.

We began playing every other weekend at my house. Right at the dining room table, we would soar through the galaxy, blasting our way through Trade Federation and Black Sun bases like they were made of paper.

And all the while, my parents were there, supporting me, letting my friends yell and eat all their food.

It wasn’t until later I discovered their dark secret.

My dad was a big-time D&D player back in the day. I’m not talking 1st Edition, I’m talking 0e, where he had to use Chainmail to resolve combat. He told me he owned almost all the books. I believe he also played some 1e as well. My mom joined in on occasion, but said she had never really felt accepted by the other members of the group.

Which leads us to this winter, when they’ll be back in the dungeon, as I lead them through the perilous dangers of Dungeons and Dragons once again. I cannot wait. Both are very creative, so I look forward to seeing what they can do.

Mom, dad: thank you for supporting me and letting me be a geek.

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I know I’m late to the party, as most everyone has Dark Sun by this point, but my copy finally arrived in the mail.

Wow. I’ve skimmed the book, and am now reading through it thoroughly from the beginning. This is an awesome book. The art is gorgeous, and the writing is fantastic. Big kudos to Richard Baker, Robert J. Schwalb and Rodney Thompson for their great writing.

I think the world of Dark Sun was best described by Matthew over at My Girlfriend is a DM: “[M]any breaths were baited for Dark Sun, which is famous for eschewing  the verdant Tolkienesque milieu that typifies most fantasy in favor of an arid Conanesque mythos with a hint of  cinnamon Arrakeen goodness.  ’Random encounter’ monsters have developed psionic powers as a matter of evolutionary course; metal and water is the stuff worth killing your grandmother for.”

…

Yep, that about sums it up.

You can read the first part of his review here. And if you aren’t a regular reader of that blog, you really need to be.

I’m a big fan of “Arrakeen goodness”, as evidenced by my buying a physical copy of “Burning Sands: Jihad” at GenCon as one of my only purchases, so this is up my alley.

I’ve only gotten through the first few chapters so far, but… Damn! This is a cruel, bitter, bitter world. I’m not even sure why they have Epic Destinies in the book, because I can’t foresee groups living that long. If you’re able to make it all the way there, you’re obligated to kill at least a couple Sorcerer-Kings.

I’ll give a full review once I’ve finished the book, but I should make special note that this is the first setting Bridget has said, “you know what? I’d love to run a game in this world.” She hasn’t expressed interest in DMing for Faerun or Eberron in the past, so perhaps Athas will be to her liking.

I’ll keep you updated!

Keep rolling 20′s (made from the bones of your fallen foes in the gladiatorial pits of Tyr)!

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Okay, I’m not actually using the word “Turn” in a correct Cleric spellcasting sense. I’m not trying to repel them, I’m trying to turn them… to gaming.

It’s really not such a hard thing. In fact, my family is full of gamers. My mom and dad played D&D back in the 70′s, and are Catan and Carcassone players to this day. My brother and sister-in-law both work at Fantasy Flight Games, him in retail, her as an editor, so they’re no stranger to gaming. My sister plays WoW. So they’re not a bunch of ignoramuses.

But none of them have played  4e before, so this will be new.

I’m really eager to have them enjoy themselves. It’s my sister’s first time playing an RPG, and my parents haven’t played in 30 years. That’s a lot of expectation to live up to.

I’ve already gotten their inputs as to what they’re going to play, and it’s going to be a good group.

Bridget will be playing her Warforged Ranger from our Eberron game, my dad will be playing an updated to 4e version of an old character of his, a Human Sorcerer, my mom will be a Half-Elven Seeker, my brother will be a Minotaur Bard, my sister-in-law will be a Gnome Ranger, and my sister will be a Shadar-Kai Revenant Avenger. I even put together a picture of the party (naturally).

I’ve already begun planning how the adventure is going to go, even though I’m still a few months away from running it. I wish I could give details about the plot before I run it, but my dad, mom and brother both read the site.

I think it’s going to be fun!

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Penny Arcade’s gotten in on the “is D&D Essentials 4e or 4.5e?” debate. These guys make me laugh.

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This final campaign concept is the Great City, a fairly standard D&D world with a twist.

The Great City is ruled by the Court of the Enduring, the Devas of the world. Many other races live in the city, but the Court rules with an unshakable hand. They have a very rigid, abstract angel motif in their designs, and the Eladrin soldiers who serve them wear this motif as well.

The Great City itself rises high into the sky, many tall towers, the tallest of which actually shines with an enormous crystal. In the day, the crystal reflects sunlight, almost blinding. During the evening, it glows more dimly, still lighting many of the streets. It is the hub, near the sea, plains, forest and mountains, sitting in a quiet vale.

In the mountains to the West, the Dwarves live with their Goliath working class. They have been driven from many of their former kingdoms across the mountain range by underdark creatures, now only having three cities of note, with some small outdoor mining camps and logging settlements in the mountains.

The forest to the north is populated by the Elves, who reject their Eladrin brethren, who they believe sold out to the Enduring. They are a savage people, known for their shamanistic ways. Gnomes also populate this forest, but in much smaller numbers, preferring to remain solitary. The constant threat of Orcs from the mountains north of the forest are a constant threat to the Elves.

The hills around the Great City are populated by many different cities of different sizes. The plains are the untamed lands. There are a dozen cities that spread out to the east, but beyond them is savage country. Most of the cities are human cities, though there is a nomadic Halfling city that travels between the towns, as well as a dragonborn outpost. The Dragonborn are surprisingly civilized, and claim they have made the long trek across the plains from their kingdom.

It is believed that across the mountains is a cruel desert. No one is sure what, if anything, lives there.

Far beyond the plains is believed to be a Dragonborn kingdom. The dragonborn outpost refers to their leaders as the Council, but don’t speak of them other than that.

The Eternal City was founded 250 years ago as the Enduring came across the great sea to escape the cruel rule of the Tieflings and their hellish masters. The former continent is believed to be a hell on earth, and any Tieflings who appear on the shores of the New World are immediately imprisoned or killed. The other races joined them in their journey. The Eladrin came from the forests of the New World to live in the Great City.

There are a few scattered islands off the coast, but are largely unexplored.

Like I said, this one is a fairly standard fantasy concept, but I liked the idea of the Devas being in charge of the world, carrying on their knowledge from one life to the next.

That’s all for my concepts! GenCon kicks off for us tomorrow!

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Following the last couple of days, we have a new campaign concept, the Empire of Tel.

Magic, as we know it, vanished over 200 years ago. The fey races have faded, leaving humanity as the sole power in the world. Magic is, by many, thought to be merely that of legend, as are the elves, dwarves and gnomes.

The only other civilized race still present are the halflings, smaller than humans, and living in rural settlements throughout the Kingdom of Tel. A few have ventured into the cities, setting up a normal life, but in more outlying villages, they are looked upon with distrust and derision.

The Honor Guard of Tel are the knights and warriors of the land, charged with protecting it from without and within. Those who choose may ally themselves with the Church of Six, serving the gods and taking on the mantle of a paladin or cleric. There are rumors of quiet cults deeply embedded in society where the darker aspects of the will of the gods is carried out by divine agents by means of assassination and revenge.

Every 10 years, a crusade is sent out from Tel Crossia to the south, where hideous monsters lie. Those who survive return with tales of horror at the hands of trolls, orcs, and worse, though many claim these to be the ramblings of mad men. The worst creatures the Kingdom has faced was a dragon attack nearly 40 years ago, one which devastated many cities, and was only stopped by the combined efforts of the knights and paladins of the land.

Beneath this shining veneer, there is a crumbling building, for the Kingdom is collapsing on itself. Years of disinterest in the world around them, aside from the crusades, have left them vulnerable to attack.

Ancient legends tell of a 7th god, sinister and ancient, who will one day rise from beneath the earth and consume the Kingdom. There are secret cults who worship this unnamed god, though some call it ”Terrasque.” They wait for the day it will return, hastening his return through dark rituals and murder.

This concept is a very low-magic setting, only allowing for a few races: Humans, halflings, and perhaps, a half-elf (though no one would know they were). Using Inherent Bonuses from DMG2 for 4e, you can easily remove magical items. This is the concept I’m using for the new campaign Bridget and I are going to be doing, allowing our heroes only one wondrous item, and it has to be a mundane-seeming item. Steadily introducing elves, dwarves, and magic into the system can make for pretty interesting games, I think.

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Continuing on from yesterday’s post of campaign concepts, I present the idea of running a campaign in a war-devastated world: There Is Only War.

One hundred years of warfare takes its toll. The once great cities of the Empire have fallen into ruin. Survivors hide in the rubble, facing the armies of Tieflings, Orcs and worse creatures. Dragons soar over the skies, burning all in their wake. What promise of peace once existed has now burned away with the cities and fields. The world is a devastated wasteland.

But then, a hope arises. The ancient books of lore, thought lost, speak of a magical staff, one so powerful it could vanquish any foe the Empire faces. Any brave enough to journey across the blighted ruins of the land may claim this staff from the very forces who have ruined the world.

I like the idea of Stalingrad in a fantasy setting, combined with Reign of Fire. This allows you to present the heroes with an insurmountable foe, encouraging them to truly be the last hope of civilization.

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I’ve been thinking about new campaign concepts recently, how to break the mold from the traditional fantasy game, and have come up with a series of different concepts I think could make for some pretty great roleplaying in your next D&D campaign. We’ll begin the series with what I like to call: The Colonists.

Humanity’s history stretches back into antiquity. The iron cities have always existed, as far as history traces; tall towers of self-contained cities, their smooth sides without windows, and impervious to any weapon, magical or not. Some rooms of the mile-high cities are sealed off, and always have been. Each race has a different variation of the cities: The humans have their tall towers, the elves their wide, round iron cities hidden within the foliage of the forests, the dwarves cities embedded in the mountainsides. Orc iron cities look patchwork and rusting.

One day, a sealed-off room in the human tower of Pelam opened unexpectedly. Venturing in, the explorers discovered a complex labyrinth of hallways and tunnels, with strange synthetic ropes, tables made of glass with glowing images dancing across them, and strange magical items. One of the explorers accidentally flipped a lever, and a voice rang out throughout the tower: “Emergency launch sequence activated. Initiating lock-down of all airlocks.” Some escaped, including a few of the explorers to tell the tale of the tower lifting out of the ground and soaring into the air, disappearing into the stars. If the other iron cities are the same, it raises many questions as to where the races came from…

This campaign concept allows you to focus on bringing technology-as-magic into the game, making magic weapons just super-advanced technology. I know it’s been done in the past, but it’s a concept I’ve always loved.

Keep an eye out tomorrow for the next in this series!

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Here is the second part of the interview I completed with Shelly Mazzanoble.  Enjoy!

8: After visiting your personal website, it seemed to me that you’ve always been highly creative. What do you think lead to your creative flow? Does this creative flow that you harbor help you during a game?
Thank you! If you ask my mom she’ll say “weird” rather than “creative” but that’s just one woman’s opinion. I actually blame her for my “weirdness.” Both of my parents are creative and they always fostered that in my brother and I (like with the stuffed animals.)

My parents have always been very supportive of anything my brother and I did. I remember writing stories for my mom since about the time I could write. She loved them and always made a big deal about them so kept it up. And I was much better at writing then I was at catching baseballs or ice-skating so perhaps her “encouragement” was really an attempt to save me years of embarrassment.

I think being creative helps when playing D&D, but D&D also helps you be creative outside of the game. It’s great practice for writers—character development, backstory, plot development. The entertainment industry is chockfull of D&D players. I’ve even heard D&D referred to as the “secret handshake” in Hollywood, like if you make an obscure D&D reference in a meeting and someone gets it, you’re in. So don’t hide your geek cred in public! You never know who is listening.

9: I also saw on your website that you have worked on many individual projects, i.e. plays. Do you have any current projects you are designing or working on at the moment?
My computer’s hard drive is a mecca for unfinished projects. They come here to die. Or at least languish peacefully in a coma until I feel the need to resurrect them again someday. I think I have a short attention span and if there’s no deadline associated with something I have a hard time finishing it. But really, if I’m bored working on something, then what’s the reader going to get out of it, right? Wait… what did you ask me? Oh right—current projects. See? There’s the attention span in action!

In addition to the aforementioned projects in a coma, one that actually has a deadline is a second book for Wizards of the Coast. It’s tentatively titled “Everything I need to Know I learned from My Dungeon Master.” It’s due pretty much any second. Thanks for reminding me. ☺

10: Do you have a favorite project that you have completed?
Any project that I complete is my favorite! Please don’t make me choose. Oh fine, if I must. I wrote a short story called The Chicken & the Egg and then rewrote it as a play. I like this story because it’s about a divisive topic that I care very deeply about—a women’s right to choose. I didn’t want to write it as a vehicle to express my own opinion, but rather show both sides and how incredibly difficult and personal this choice really is. Maybe afterwards people would look more closely at the other side because it’s not as cut an dry as some people think. Even I wasn’t sure what the character was going to choose when I was writing it. It was her choice. Not mine.

The play was produced twice—once in Seattle and once in Manhattan. I was involved in the production from start to finish in Seattle (maybe that’s a good thing, maybe it’s a bad thing depending on who you ask) but for the NY production I only spoke with the director on the phone once and not again until I showed up for the dress rehearsal a couple months later. It was absolutely incredible. I was totally blown away. I had tears in my eyes. I think I probably punctured the director’s lungs because I hugged her so hard afterwards. The actors were incredible. It was totally surreal to hear words I put on a paper come out of their mouths. I felt totally disconnected (in a good way) and it was like seeing the play or hearing the words for the first time. They did things I never would have thought of. It ran for three nights in NY as part of a festival and on the third night my entire family came in from all over the country to see it.

I feel really lucky to have had that experience—to have worked with such talented people who put so much of themselves into bringing your words to life. Theater, like D&D, is a collaborative effort which really appeals to me. Definitely one of my most favorite accomplishments as a writer.

11: You are a self-proclaimed girly-girl, did this make it difficult for other gamers to take you seriously?
Absolutely, and I noticed it a lot at first. Not so much at work where I was mostly playing because my co-workers know me. I am a girly girl. But that’s just one facet of my personality. Just like “fly fisherman” or “hippie” or “uptight meeting note taker” was just one facet of their personality. But outside of the office, I could definitely sense it. I played up the “girly” element in “Confessions” to appeal to a particular target and also play down the D&D stereotype that says everyone who plays is a pimply-faced teenager with no social skills. But some people thought I was dumbing down “their” game or making assumptions that all women were girly girls who needed to be talked to in the language of shoes and handbags. That of course was never my intention and obviously there were plenty of women who played D&D before I did.

I think once people met me or learned more about my point of view they came to realize I wasn’t making those assumptions at all. And I wasn’t being insincere or creating a fake persona. I do like shoes and shopping and kicking back with an US Weekly when I’m on a treadmill or a long flight (that’s what I was doing by the way, when I was supposed to be answering these questions.)

I’ve had the pleasure of hearing from lots of other women who thought they needed to table (no pun intended) their femininity to be a considered a “gamer” but realize that’s not the case. There’s room for all types if people in this game.

12: I often find that my imagination will run away with me during a game and it can be hard to reign it back in. Do you ever have that happen to you? Has it ever affected a game (for good or bad) that you’ve been playing?
I think an active imagination is a great quality! I’d love to play with you.

I suppose if your imagination lead you so far away you were distracting to other players, that might be a problem but otherwise I think we need more players like you.

While my imagination might not be the problem, my group is prone to tangents and diversions. I’ve tried to curb this ever since I tried my hand at Dungeon Mastering and realized how annoying and discouraging it is to have 7 different side conversations going on and no one is listening to you. That’s when I’m tempted to dump them all in a pit and call it good.

13: Do you have a favorite character that you’ve played? Can you tell us about them? What made that character so much fun to play? Were there any challenges to playing this character?
Hmm… that’s hard. I always feel some allegiance to the character I’m currently playing. In that case it would be Tabitha.

But I’m inclined to say Astrid, my elf sorceress, because she was my first character. Astrid and I have been through a lot together. You could say she inspired me to write Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress so I owe her quite a bit. She was fun to play because she had such an elaborate backstory and marked personality. Everything she did (or didn’t do) was distinctly “Astrid.” We also had a lot in common from the desire to have nice adventuring gear to our penchant for 4-legged creatures. All of this is also what presented challenges to playing her. I think I loved her too much because I lived in fear of something happening to her! I realized after I started playing Tabitha, that players are supposed to get involved in the action, maybe take a few risks. That’s what makes the game fun. I might have missed out on the actual “game” because I couldn’t bear the thought of Astrid sacrificing a few hit points. Poor thing spent most of her days hiding behind a sarcophagus. (One that was empty of course. I made sure of that.)

14: I personally loved your D&D based recipes for gaming nights. Do you have any new ones that you’ve put together?
Thank you! And I love your recipes! I’ve never had Magic Missile Meatballs (I’m vegetarian) but I heard great things about them.

I found that any kind of cake will do wonders to set the right tone for a party. My favorites are appetizers– making them and eating them. But you have to be careful to select ones that don’t get all over your fingers. You can’t roll dice with sticky fingers.

I make a lot with puffed pastry. You can make delicious pizzas that way. Caramelized onions, gorgonzola cheese, cranberries and walnuts is a favorite. Or try layering some chutney, blue cheese and pears. Delicious! I don’t have a good “D&D” name for those. Puff the Magic Dragon Pastry Pizzas? No, that’s lame. Got any suggestions?

*Author’s Note* The questions that follow have absolutely nothing to do with gaming in just about any fashion!  You have been alerted.  You may proceed if you wish now

15: Just a few questions to satisfy my own curiosity!

*Favorite color? Surprise! Pink is my favorite color. More specifically, fuchsia.

*Favorite ice-cream flavor? I love Chubby Hubby ice cream by Ben & Jerry’s. Is there anything better than chocolate covered, peanut butter filled pretzels stuffed into vanilla ice cream? Well, maybe chocolate ice cream.

*Favorite shoe designer? Contrary to public opinion, I do not own any Jimmy Choo’s or Manolo’s but I do like looking at them. Lately I’ve been into shoes by Miz Mooz, Naughty Monkey and Tom’s. They’re good quality and not expensive which is good when you buy in bulk like I do.

*Favorite accessory that you have in your closet? That’s a tough one, as I love accessories! I’m loving this long gold necklace I got recently. It has these beautiful charms on the end. I wear it all the time. I love my tote bag that has vintage birds on it. I’m kind of obsessed with bird designs for some reason. And today I got the most beautiful black satchel. Feels like butter. I think that’s my most favorite accessory right now.

*Something that you never leave home without? My iPhone. I’m an addict. That and hand cream because I despise dry hands and tinted lip balm with SPF 15. I can’t wear lipstick without looking like a five year old who got into her mommy’s make up.

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Being a playwright, author and overall creative persona are just pieces of what makes up the ever-entertaining Shelly Mazzanoble, whom I had the privilege of interviewing this past week!  Shelly is the Associate Brand Marketing Manager for Dungeons & Dragons.  She is also the author of “Confessions of a Part Time Sorceress”, the book that my husband bought me to initially introduce me to gaming.  It was my own personal brush with gaming fame

So please, without further ado, enjoy the interview in its first part!

1: What is your official job title at Wizards of the Coast?
I’m the Associate Brand Marketing Manager for Dungeons & Dragons.

2: What are your regular job duties?
I, along with my boss, am responsible for all of the marketing initiatives for Dungeons & Dragons across all platforms (novels, RPG, online, etc.) We work very closely with cross-functional teams, which include advertising, PR, sales, community, R&D. Really everyone in the company. Lucky for me I really like my co-workers.

3: I’ve heard you referred to as the “Player and Chief”, can you tell me what that means and how you got that title?
Yes! I gave myself that title and continue to force R&D to recognize me as such. It came from my Dragon column after feeling like R&D was getting a little power hungry and the players were suffering. So I went around demanding all sorts of changes “for the players” in an attempt to balance things out. For instance, it drove me nuts that magic missile was no longer “magic.” You had to roll to see if you hit. That’s not magic! So I tried to get R&D to change it back or rename it “missile.” I think they had some kind of lame excuse like “Oh, it does more damage now so it’s still cool.” Whatever. I wasn’t buying it. And guess what? Recently magic missile has regained its magic. No more rolling to see if you hit. I’m taking credit for that (although I suspect I had nothing to do with it. But still…)

4: How did you first get involved in gaming?
You can only work at Wizards for so long before gaming catches up to you, clobbers you on the head and drags you back to its lair!

While I’ve always liked playing cards and “party” games like Cranium, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit, etc. I never considered myself a gamer. That’s a term I reserved for hardcore video gamers, TCG or RPGers. In fact, I still feel like it’s wrong to refer to myself as a gamer. I’m relatively new to the whole D&D thing. I haven’t earned the title yet.

I’ve been at Wizards for 11 years now. The first 6 years I was doing marketing for various trading card games like Magic: The Gathering. Although I can see the appeal, it was way too competitive for my taste. When I moved to the publishing team, I was invited to join a D&D game that was just starting up. I’ve been playing every week (give or take) for the past five years now and loving it.

5: Was there any part of gaming that you felt came ‘naturally’ to you?
I’ve always loved creating characters so that part is my favorite. I spent a lot of time as a kid playing with stuffed animals and gave them all these very lavish backstories. They had jobs, kids, marriages and divorces. They drove specific cars, had friends and enemies, liked certain foods and baseball teams. My brother and I talked about them like they were part of the family. Even my parents still remember Froggy O’Hara, who owned a pillow shop, was married to Green Rabbito, drove a corvette (Barbie’s!), and loved the Atlanta Braves. Why didn’t my brother and I play D&D?

I also really love the stories and that everyone in the group has a chance to contribute to it.

6: Was there any part of gaming that you felt was more difficult to learn or do?
Yep. So much so that I wrote about this too. I still have some insecurities when it comes to the roleplaying aspect. While I love making up a character’s background I seldom use it in game. Tabitha, my tiefling wizard, is charismatic and intimidating. She’s the obvious choice to schmooze (or rough up) the guards outside a temple or try to get a bigger reward from the mayor who sent us on our adventure. And yet I can’t help thinking I’ll say the wrong thing or miss a totally obviously clue so poor Tabby never really says much of anything.

I think strategy is something that takes practice. I need to work on that both as a player and a fledging Dungeon Master. Things like “Where do I stand?” “Should I move even if I can make a ranged attack?” “Should I bring all the minions out at once?” Being honest with your group, asking for help and advice is all perfectly acceptable. I learned that even the seemingly most expert D&D players have their insecurities once in a while.

7: How did you come to write “Confessions of a Part Time Sorceress”?
I wrote an essay for an editor I had worked with at The Seattle Times about “my secret life as a dragon slayer.” I played up my “girly” side and the fact I never thought someone like me would be into a game like D&D because I really wanted to shoot down some of the stereotypes associated with the game. Although she was amused, the editor had a hard time grasping the whole “I’ve got a Balenciaga mace and I’m not afraid to use it” concept. I showed it to some people at work who unbeknownst to me where already exploring ways to reach out to women—gamers and non-gamers. Someone thought my essay could be expanded upon so I wrote up a proposal for a “How to” book written for the woman who has no concept of roleplaying games or a 20-sided die for that matter. I wanted to highlight the aspects I though came so naturally to some women — storytelling, socializing, even roleplaying. I believed that if more women knew what D&D was really about, they’d be inclined to give the old d20 a spin. Roleplaying is not a foreign concept to women. Little girls are naturals at it. They play house, tea party, dolls. Just imagine if Barbie’s dream house was invaded by hobgoblins.

Check out Pt. 2 of the interview here!

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